Exercising grip consisting of a rectangular pad of resiliently compressible material



April 21, 1964 H. E. sTocK 3,129,939

EXERCISING GRIPCONSISTING OF A RECTANGULAR PAD 0F RESILIENTLY COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL Filed Feb. 26, 1962 3 Z M U 1 T" W J WW 2 United States Patent 3,129,939 EXERCISING GRIP CONSISTHNG OF A RECTAN- GULAR PAD 0F RESILlENTLY COMPRESSIIELE MATE Herman E. Stock, 395 St. Ronan St., New Haven, Conn. Filed Feb. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 175,425 2 Claims. (Cl. 27268) This invention relates to human exercising devices in general, and to exercising grips in particular.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an exercising grip which on compressive manipulation by a users hand with comparatively little effort exercises the hand, wrist and even forearm muscles in rather gentle but highly effective workout fashion, thereby being conducive to its frequent and prolonged use with equally good results by people of both sexes and of all ages, including the young and also elderly.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an exercising grip of this type which is of exceeding structural simplicity and, hence, of such low cost as to be easily within the means of all who desire to, or should, exercise, yet is in its make-up such that it is neither subject to wear nor change of its action and, hence, will afford the same thorough exercise virtually indefinitely.

It is a further object of the present invention to pro vide an exercising grip of this type in the form of a pad which for its entire formation is simply blanked from sheet stock of resiliently compressible, and preferably foamed rubber or plastic, material, thereby to achieve the aforementioned structural simplicity and low cost of the grip as well as its enduring performance and virtual indestructability.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an exercising grip of the aforementioned pad form which is of approximate rectangular shape and in length, width and thickness such as to require for its full manipulation equal effort from all parts of the users hand for wellrounded exercise of all muscles involved in the task.

A further object .of the present invention is to provide an exercising grip of the aforementioned pad form which in its length and Width is such as lengthwise to span only the users fingers other than the thumb, and widthwise to span the distance between the palm and fingers substantially to their first joints next to the hand knuckles, thereby compelling the user compressively to manipulate the grip with bent fingers in the first place, and with bent fingers which for each full squeeze of the grip are sufiiciently close to the palm to strain the muscles involved for optimum exercise and strength development.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an exercising grip of the aforementioned pad form which in thickness is approximately equal to the spacing of the first and second joints in the users fingers, whereby the grip is also conducive to bending even the finger tips against the grip and squeeze it therewith for even enhanced exercise benefits.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an exercising grip of pad form which in its aforementioned approximately rectangular outline is formed in one side with relatively shallow depressions which serve as rests for the users fingers other than the thumb, and is at its opposite side shaped to the approximate curvature of the palm, thereby readily indicating to the user the best mode of using the grip for optimum exercising benefit, namely with the fingers and palm in form-fit with the grip.

Other objects and advantages will appear to those skilled in the art from the following, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the accompanying drawings, in which certain modes of carrying out the present invention are shown for illustrative purposes:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exercising grip embodying the present invention and shown being manipulated by a human hand;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the exercising grip;

FIG. 3 is a side View of the exercising grip as seen in the direction of arrow 3 in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an end view of the exercising grip; and

FIG. 5 is a section taken on the line 55 of FIG. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 designates an exercising grip which is formed of any suitable resiliently compressible material, preferably foamed rubber or plastic. The grip 10, which is in the form of a pad 12 of approximately rectangular outline or shape, is adapted to be held in a users hand h in a fashion like or similar to that shown in FIG. 1, and is to be squeezed primarily widthwise thereof by the fingers 1 other than the thumb t against the palm p for exercising the hand, wrist and even foreanm muscles. The pad '12 is preferably and advantageously of a length L and width W substantially to span the fingers only, and the distance between the palm p and first joints 1 in the fingers 1, respectively, and the thickness T of the pad is preferably and advantageously such as substantially to span the distance between the first and second joints and j in the fingers f.

In thus dimensioning the pad 12 lengthwise and widthwise, the same may be placed with the side edge 14 thereof against the palm p so that the fingers f must be bent in order to grip the pad at its opposite side edge 16. Accordingly, compressive manipulation of the pad 12 is started with bent fingers (FIG. 1) which on their full squeeze of the pad reach quite close to the palm p, thereby straining the hand, wrist and even forearm muscles involved in the task for optimum exercise and strength development. Also, with the pad 12 substantially spanning the fingers f and, hence, also the palm p, full manipulation or squeezing of the pad against the palm requires a substantially equal effort from all fingers f and, hence, makes for even and well-rounded exercise of all muscles involved in the task. The thumb t rnay, and generally should, participate in the exercise to strengthen its manipulating muscles, by squeezing the pad 12 at whichever end edge '18 thereof happens to be next to it (FIG. -1). Further, in dimensioning the pad 1 2 thicknesswise so as substantially to span the distance between the first and sec ond joints 1' and j in the fingers 1", the tips t of the fingers 1 may readily be bent, and should be bent, against the pad and manipulated to squeeze the same thicknesswise (FIG. 1) for even enhanced exercise benefits.

The exercising grip 1% is not only of exceeding structural simplicity in its approximately rectangular pad form 12, but is also of such exceedingly low cost that it is easily within the means of all who desire to, or should, exercise their hands and adjoining wrists and forearms. Thus, the pad 12 is, preferably and in the least expensive manner, simply die-cut from fiat sheet stock of the proper material and thickness, and this concludes the entire formation of the grip 10*. The pad 12 is thus finishshaped in a single die-cutting operation and is left at the uniform thickness of the sheet stock from which it is blanked. As an inherent result of die-cutting the pad 12 preferably fro-m resiliently compressible foamed rubber or plastic, the side and end edges 14, =16 and '18 of the pad will be concave as indicated at 20 which is advantageous as pointed out hereinafter.

The side edge 16 of the pad 12 is preferably formed over its length with four consecutive depressions 22 (-FIGS. 2 and 3) which serve as rests for the fingers f. The opposite side edge 14 is preferably curved in sub- 3 stantial conformity with the curvature of the palm p so as to serve as a palm rest 24 (FIGS. 1 and 2). In thus forming the side edges 14 and 16 of the pad 12, the finger rests 22 and palm rest 24 clearly indicate to the user the best mode of using the grip for optimum exercising benefit, namely with the users fingers and palm in substantial form fi-t with the finger rests 2.2 and palm rest 24, respectively. The end edges 18 of the pad 12 are preferably also curved, as shown, to approximate the curvature of the users thumb t and thereby achieve substantially uniform endwise squeezing of the pad by the users thumb. Finally, the aforementioned concave formation of the side and end edges 14, 16 and 18 is advantageous in that the finger rests 22, the end edges 18, and the palm rest 24-, of the pad are thereby in even fuller conformity with the multi-curved fingers thumb t, and palm p, respectively.

With the grip 10 formed as a pad of simple outline and preferably of a suitable foamed rubber or plastic, the same has a practically unlimited useful life during which it is subject neither to wear nor change of its action and, hence, will afford the same thorough exercise virtually indefinitely. Also, while the described small size of the pad 12 is highly advantageous for optimum exercise benefits, as described, its small size is further advantageous in that it may be kept in most any desired space and may even be carried quite inconspicuously on ones person.

The invention may be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention, and the present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. An exercising grip, comprising a pad of resiliently compressible material being of a length, width and thickness substantially to span only the fingers other than the thumb, the distance between the palm and fingers to their first joints, and the distance between the first and second joints of the fingers, respectively, corresponding to those of a human hand, the opposite faces of the pad spaced in the direction of its thickness lying throughout in first parallel planes, the widthwise spaced side faces of the pad lying substantially in second parallel planes normal to said first planes, with one of said side faces having over its length four successive, substantially identical depressions suggesting finger rests and the other side face being over its length less wavy than the palm of a human hand, and the lengthwise spaced end faces of the pad also lying substantially in parallel planes normal to said first and second planes and being of identical outline so that either may serve as a thumb rest, the pad being, symmetrical about an axis normal to said second planes and midway of its length and all of said faces meeting at sharp corners.

2. An exercising grip as set forth in claim 31, in which said pad is of resiliently compressible spongy material, and said side and end faces are concave in the direction of the thickness of said pad.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,541,851 Wright Feb. 13, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 21,603 Great Britain i900 

1. AN EXERCISING GRIP, COMPRISING A PAD OF RESILIENTLY COMPRESSIBLE MATERIAL BEING OF A LENGTH, WIDTH AND THICKNESS SUBSTANTIALLY TO SPAN ONLY THE FINGERS OTHER THAN THE THUMB, THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE PALM AND FINGERS TO TEIR FIRST JOINTS, AND THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND JOINTS OF THE FINGERS, RESPECTIVELY, CORRESPONDING TO THOSE OF A HUMAN HAND, THE OPPOSITE FACES OF THE PAD SPACED IN THE DIRECTION OF ITS THICKNESS LYING THROUGHOUT IN FIRST PARALLEL PLANES, THE WIDTHWISE SPACED SIDE FACES OF THE PAD LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN SECOND PARALLEL PLANES NORMAL TO SAID FIRST PLANES, WITH ONE OF SAID SIDE FACES HAVING OVER ITS LENGTH FOUR SUCCESSIVE, SUBSTANTIALLY IDENTICAL DEPRESSIONS SUGGESTING FINGER RESTS AND THE OTHER SIDE FACE BEING OVER ITS LENGTH LESS WAVY THAN THE PALM OF A HUMAN HAND, AND THE LENGTHWISE SPACED END FACES OF THE PAD ALSO LYING SUBSTANTIALLY IN PARALLEL PLANES NORMAL TO SAID FIRST AND SECOND PLANES AND BEING OF IDENTICAL OUTLINE SO THAT EITHER MAY SERVE AS A THUMB REST, THE PAD BEING SYMMETRICAL ABOUT AN AXIS NORMAL TO SAID SECOND PLANES AND MIDWAY OF ITS LENGTH AND ALL OF SAID FACES MEETING AT SHARP CORNERS. 